National postal operator Australia Post has signed an expanded relationship agreement with online marketplace Alibaba in a bid to strengthen trade between Australian businesses and consumers across Southeast Asia.
The partnership will involve extending Australia Post online storefronts beyond China to Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, through e-commerce network Lazada, of which Alibaba has a majority shareholding.
Lazada provides merchants with direct access to more than 560 million consumers in six countries in Southeast Asia and features a wide product offering in categories ranging from consumer electronics and household goods to fashion and health products.
Bob Black, executive general manager parcels, Australia Post, and CEO, StarTrack, an Australia Post subsidiary, said, “We are committed to supporting local Australian businesses and delivering e-commerce solutions that make it easier to grow their businesses whether that be across Australia or overseas.
“International expansion can be daunting for many businesses, particularly small and medium sized enterprises. That’s why we are proud to have partnered with Alibaba to help give Australian businesses access to the booming e-commerce sector in China and now the lucrative Southeast Asian market.”
Australia Post also plans to open storefronts on Lazada’s other sites in Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines beyond this year. Australia Post’s relationship with Alibaba has already enabled Australian businesses to sell their products across Alibaba’s other key platforms since 2014, including Tmall Global, Global TaoBao and 1688.com.
February 6, 2017
